This week we celebrate the 61st annual Veterans Day on November 11th. On this day we honor veterans for their patriotism and love of country, and we celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans.
To all veterans reading this blog, we thank you for your service.
With regards to veteran career services, because “that’s what we do” here at Workforce Solutions, there are some facts that should be made known!
- The unemployment rate is consistently below the unemployment rate for non-veterans.
- 80% of veterans in America are age 45 and older. Only 3.4% of unemployed veterans are age 24 and younger.
- In July 2015, the unemployment rate for veterans age 24 and younger was 9.8%, compared to 11.3% unemployment rate for non-veterans of the same age.
- The national unemployment rate for women veterans has been statistically equivalent to that of non-veteran women for the last 2 years.
- There are more than 10,000 veterans in the Greater Houston area (ages 18 – 64) who need jobs.
While November 11th is the official Veterans Day celebration, Workforce Solutions celebrates the service of veterans every day by offering what is referred to as “Priority of Service” to veterans.
Priority of service refers to the specific rights that veterans and eligible spouses of veterans have in all employment and training services provided through the Department of Labor funded public workforce system.
Perhaps two examples might help to better understand what that might mean…
- An eligible veteran may step to the front of the line in waiting for services at a Workforce Solutions Career Center; or
- An eligible veteran has access to view job postings on Work-in-Texas job search website up to 48 hours prior to other users.
Workforce Solutions is helping to improve the employment rate for veterans, and we also help veterans with their transition into civilian life.
Tools are made available that can help veterans assess how skills acquired during their military service can fit in the local area job market. For more information, visit us at Workforce Solutions veteran services.
While you’re on that web page you’ll see information about an upcoming event focused on veterans called the Hiring Red, White & You job fair.
This is the fourth annual statewide HRWY! job fair for veterans, and our hope is to connect Texas veterans and their spouses with Texas employers who value the experience, discipline and other exceptional qualities inherent with a military background.
This year we’ll have 150 employers attending the event and more than 2,500 jobs available to our veteran customers. We’d love to have you attend the event on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
For additional information regarding Priority of Service, please visit the following link with the Department of Labor: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2010/ten15-10a1.pdf.
Thank you for your service!
David Spears is a member of the Workforce SolutionsNavigator team for the Texas Gulf Coast Region. Combining training and education to real world examples, David brings personal and professional experience with disabilities to the table in order to help job seekers with disabilities realize their potential. David has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration with over 20 years of experience in the business world.
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